Round 7 of the Hunter Haval Black Diamond AFL competition will see a General Bye for both the Black Diamond Cup and GE Women’s competition due to the representative fixtures being played this Saturday. Fixtures and preview below.

Tomorrow is one of the big days of the Black Diamond AFL season with both men’s and women’s representative matches being played at Adelaide St Oval. If you are on the Central Coast it will be well worth calling in for a look.

If you can’t make it to the ground don’t worry as both matches will be shown LIVE over the internet as follows:

The Black Diamond AFL hosts the Sydney AFL in Mens and Womens representative football this Saturday on the Central Coast at Adelaide St Oval. BDAFL Mens Coach Chris Bishop and his assistant Marty Reiman have chosen an in-form squad to take on what is expected to be a powerful Sydney outfit.

It is the first time these two teams have met at senior level and the BDAFL will be looking to make it five representative wins on the trot, although it will be fair to say that AFL Sydney will be their toughest test to date.

Yensch and Ellis will shoulder the vast majority of ruckwork, with the versatile Price, who performed superbly in the 2016 representative fixture when put into backline, as backup around the ground.

Teammates Beard and McMahon form part of mobile and talented forward line, supported by club coaches Skuse and Reed (who played for the same club in Sydney and will have some inside knowledge of their playing roster).

The BDAFL side, as you would expect, has many players who can rotate through the middle. Fleming and DeLeur provide classy options at ruck-rover; Seen, Cubillo and Mitchell are talented rovers who are lethal given any room to move. Billins, an abrasive & tough player with representative experience. Kernahan has been switching between the centre and the half-forward line for the Bulldogs & gives Bishop and Reiman another dual-purpose option.

Metcalfe, in excellent form this season for Cardiff, is the general of the backline. Hart and Bond are likely to start alongside Metcalfe deep in defence. Haswell will provide the rebounding half-back flank option, a role he has performed with aplomb for Newcastle City this season. Thornton and O’Malley provide more options across half-back, with O'Malley also well- suited to playing on Sydney's small forwards.

First bounce in this fixture is at 2.15pm.

Womens Coach Simon Berry has a talented squad to choose from as his players face up to a strong and experienced Sydney outfit. The squad, as expected dominated by players from Nelson Bay, Newcastle City & Gosford, is:

It will be the second time the BDAFL have fielded a women’s representative side after making their debut against AFL Canberra last year.

Whilst many of the players are still only young in relation to AFL experience the improvement shown in recent seasons will ensure they put in a bold showig against a far more experienced AFL line up.

Berry has a plethora of options on the ball, particularly some team combinations who have a great understanding of each other's play. Smyth and Ives provide mobile and super-fit options in the ruck. Smyth can run all day and can run off traditional ruckman and provide an extra follower all over the ground. Ives has been in great form for Wyong Lakes and will be very keen to make a big impact, having been a emergency for last year's representative fixtures. A noticeably fitter Astley can provide a third ruck option in the forward 50.

Steane, the reigning League Best & Fairest, has shown that her time training with GWS has been put to good use, as her skill levels and fitness have gone through the roof. Her combination with hard-hitting and tough-tackling Balcombe has been key to Nelson Bay's 13-month unbeaten run. Their clearance work, particularly roving to Smyth and Ives, will be critical for the BDAFL. Gillingham, the vastly experienced Parkin and Cooper will also rotate through the middle. Parkin, who spent a decade playing in Sydney, will have some "inside knowledge" on the Sydney squad that will be vital for Berry in his plans.

Berry has some serious strike power in their forward line. Astley, James, MacDonald, Halvorsen, Butler, Crookes and O'Hehir have all been in great goalkicking form for their clubs, and will provide serious match-up problems for Sydney.

Elcoate and Holland will presumably take up tall defender positions, roles they perform weekly for their respective clubs. Booth, Phillips, White, Goodwin, Mathewson and the experienced Berry could also spend time in the defensive 50. Balcombe also spent some time on the backline in recent Academy trials, and Astley can also comfortably play at centre-half back, her long kicking becoming an attacking weapon for Berry and his charges.